No urgent need to create window for IPL, says Speed

Published: Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 18:40 [IST]

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Mumbai, Apr 16 (UNI) Outgoing Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Malcolm Speed, today said that there was no urgent need to create a separate window for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Mr Speed, who will be stepping down in June this year, speaking about the Twenty20 cricket and the Indian Premier League, said that it would be better to wait and watch how the first year goes, before thinking of making a permanent slot for this tournament in the ICC calendar.

''The players know that the only reason they are approached for the Twenty20 is because they are the stars for their country. They have become good players because they have been brought up in the system within their country. IPL hasn't started yet. Before we go carving windows in the structure that is basis of the finances of all countries including the BCCI, let's see how good it is. There is no rush to do this,'' Mr Speed emphasised while speaking to reporters here today.

Instead, the ICC CEO said the biggest challenge facing the game's administrators right now was how to integrate the T20 format with Tests and ODIs to ensure that none have to face disinterest of the fans.

''I have told ICC board in the long paper I wrote in March this year, that the current generation of cricket administrators will be judged not by how much money the game makes out of T20 cricket, rather how well we integrate T20 into the other forms of the game.

We regard it as a challenge, not a problem,'' Mr Speed said.

Recalling how India and Pakistan were opposed to T20 initially, till the dramatic change of view after the former defeated their arch-rivals to win the inaugural world championship last year in South Africa, Mr Speed praised the cricket administrators in the two countries for respecting the views of the others and taking part in the championship.